Why sell livestock and machinery online with AuctionsPlus?

AuctionsPlus is Australia’s largest online agricultural marketplace, where livestock and machinery are sold through agents to a national audience of more than 220,000 registered users. AuctionsPlus held its first pilot sales in June 1986 as CALM (Computer Aided Livestock Marketing), was rebranded to AuctionsPlus in July 2000, and in FY26 traded more than 641,000 cattle, 2.7 million sheep and $95 million worth of machinery.

This article explains how selling on AuctionsPlus works, who buys on the platform, how listings are marketed to buyers and the tools vendors and agents can use to control price and reach more buyers.

Figures in this article are for the 2025 to 2026 financial year (FY26, July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026) unless otherwise stated. Last updated November 2026.

AuctionsPlus key facts for sellers

• History: First pilot sales in June 1986 as CALM, rebranded to AuctionsPlus in July 2000
• Registered users: More than 220,000
• Registered livestock buyers: More than 57,000
• Registered machinery buyers: More than 107,000
• Monthly unique browsers: Around 272,000 (May to July 2026)
• Auctions held: More than 1,900 a year, averaging over 150 a month
• Cattle throughput: More than 641,000 head
• Sheep throughput: More than 2.7 million head
• Machinery sales: $95 million
• Livestock clearance rate: Over 83% (82% cattle, 84% sheep)
• Machinery clearance rate: 64% average, with 23 bids per lot
• Top online prices: $230,000 for a bull and $54,000 for a ram
• Assessors: More than 1,300
• Agency branches: More than 1,750

How do you sell livestock online in Australia with AuctionsPlus?

Livestock is sold on AuctionsPlus through an agent, who lists the stock, arranges an assessment and sets the reserve with the vendor before the lots are offered to registered buyers across Australia in an online auction. The stock stays on the vendor’s property until it is sold.

1. The vendor engages their agent, who creates the listing on AuctionsPlus.
2. The stock is assessed by an AuctionsPlus accredited assessor, trained through the AuctionsPlus Assessor Course, and the assessment, photos, video and supporting documents are added to the listing.
3. The vendor and agent set the reserve price and the terms of sale.
4. The catalogue is published ahead of the sale and sent to registered buyers through commodity-specific emails and app notifications.
5. Registered buyers bid online, and a lot only sells once the reserve is met.
6. Payment and settlement are handled through the agent.

How do you sell machinery online with AuctionsPlus?

Machinery is listed on AuctionsPlus by an AuctionsPlus accredited agent and sold either through the weekly multi-vendor machinery auction or through a dedicated clearing sale or special sale.

• AuctionsPlus Weekly Multi-Vendor Sale: there is no upfront cost, the vendor only pays once an item sells, and items are listed alongside those of other vendors in a weekly auction. Vendors can list a single item or as many as they like, and the weekly machinery auction transacts around $400,000 a week on average.
• Clearing sales and special sales: these are usually run for a sole vendor or agency group, either online only or as a live interfaced sale, and cover everything from construction and earthmoving machinery to single items.

Between 2019 and 2025, catalogue views for the weekly machinery auction grew 3.4 times to 30,600, while users connecting to the sale grew 5.1 times to 3,850. In June 2026, AuctionsPlus accounted for 52.4% of sessions and 50.9% of unique visitors across Australia’s major online machinery auction sites (Semrush).

How many buyers use AuctionsPlus?

AuctionsPlus has more than 220,000 registered users, including more than 57,000 registered livestock buyers and more than 107,000 registered machinery buyers, with buyers active in every Australian state and territory.

• Around 272,000 unique browsers visit AuctionsPlus each month, generating more than 3.4 million pageviews a month with an average dwell time of over 6.3 minutes (May to July 2026).
• Buyers include specialist buyers such as feedlotters, processors and antique collectors, who search the platform for livestock or machinery that fits their requirements.
• Every commercial livestock market is catered for, including store, fat, studstock and genetics, along with machinery markets including tools, earthmoving and automotive.
• Stud cattle sales on AuctionsPlus average over 2,600 catalogue views, more than 180 sale connections and over 110 online bids, while stud sheep sales average around 2,000 catalogue views, more than 100 sale connections and over 180 online bids (five-year average to 2026).
• The number of distinct properties (PICs) listing cattle and sheep on AuctionsPlus grew to more than 9,000 in FY26.

How does AuctionsPlus market a listing?

Every AuctionsPlus listing is published in an online catalogue and promoted to registered buyers through commodity-specific catalogue emails, app notifications and on-platform search tools, with paid advertising available for vendors who want extra visibility.

• Catalogues: each listing can include a lot description, vendor branding, bloodline tags, unlimited photos and video, and supporting documents such as supplementary sheets, breeding history, vaccination history and mechanical certificates, along with the agent’s contact details (and the vendor’s for some sale types).
• Catalogue emails: catalogues are sent to more than 35,000 cattle subscribers, 23,000 sheep subscribers and 28,400 machinery subscribers, up to four times a week.
• App: the AuctionsPlus app for iOS and Android has 41,000 downloads, a 4.5 star rating and 85% habitual use, and includes notifications along with search, filter and favourite tools.
• Paid advertising: options include Featured Lots on the AuctionsPlus homepage and upcoming auction pages, onsite display ads, targeted pre and post-auction emails, social and video promotion, and Machines4U listings for machinery.

What control does a vendor have over the sale price?

On AuctionsPlus, the vendor and agent set a reserve price before the sale, and a lot only sells if bidding reaches that reserve. If the reserve is not met, the livestock or machinery stays with the vendor.

• Reserve pricing: a lot only sells once the reserve set by the vendor and agent is met.
• Free re-offer: unsold commercial livestock can be re-offered the following week at no extra cost, giving the vendor a chance to revalue to the market.
• Buy Now: buyers can purchase a lot outright at a set price.
• Make an Offer: this option is added to passed-in lots 90 minutes after they pass in and notifies passed-in bidders and anyone who favourited the lot, with the agent accepting or rejecting each offer. In its first month, 423 offers were received and 131 were accepted, totalling $500,000.
• Mid Auction Price Adjustment: during an auction, the start price on a lot yet to receive a bid, or the reserve on a lot yet to meet reserve, can be lowered once. This is most useful for machinery, where market value can be harder to pin down.

What are the clearance rates on AuctionsPlus?

In FY26, AuctionsPlus recorded a livestock clearance rate of over 83% (82% for cattle and 84% for sheep) on almost 4 million head offered, and a machinery clearance rate averaging 64% with an average of 23 bids per lot.

How does AuctionsPlus compare with other online livestock auction platforms?

Across 10 head-to-head online Angus sales in FY26, where the same sales ran on both AuctionsPlus and an alternative online platform, AuctionsPlus accounted for 80% of online bids, 87% of active bidders, 84% of distinct buyers, 76% of lots cleared and 75% of online takings.

What tools help a livestock listing stand out on AuctionsPlus?

• A+ Bloodlines: the official verification of a commercial listing’s bloodlines, which connects stud and commercial vendors so stud producers can protect their brand, commercial vendors can show the genetics they have invested in, and buyers can purchase verified genetics with confidence. 
• Breed data: EBVs, ASBVs and WBVs are pulled from Angus Australia, Sheep Genetics and the Australian Wagyu Association and shown live on applicable stud catalogue listings, so buyers can search and filter for specific values and can opt in to be notified once those particular requirements are available on the platform.
• Feeder Optimised: a tag automatically applied to cattle that meet key feedlot specifications for weight, age, dentition and negative pregnancy status, which gives those lots greater exposure to feedlot buyers, with price discovery through c/kg liveweight bidding.
• Forward+: a custom-built offer board for prime sheep that gives vendors and agents access to 88% of Australia’s major processing capacity, with 15 processors onboarded and competing in real time.

What can be sold on AuctionsPlus?

Almost anything agricultural can be sold on AuctionsPlus, from commercial and stud livestock through to machinery, wool, water and property.

• Cattle: commercial and stud cattle, including store, fat, breeding and genetics.
• Sheep: commercial and stud sheep, including store, prime, breeding and genetics.
• Other livestock: goats, equine and working dogs.
• Machinery: tractors, ag equipment, earthmoving machinery, automotive and tools, from single items through to full clearing sales.
• Wool, water and property: wool clips, water entitlements and rural property.
• Charity lots: livestock and other items sold to raise funds for charity.

Is AuctionsPlus safe and trusted for sellers?

Only registered buyers can bid on AuctionsPlus, terms and conditions are agreed before every sale, payment and settlement are handled through agents, and a dedicated integrity team oversees every sale.

• AuctionsPlus terms and conditions are reviewed every six months.
• All AuctionsPlus data is held in Australia and is not sent offshore.
• More than 1,300 assessors operate on AuctionsPlus, including 128 new assessors who completed one of 12 AuctionsPlus Assessor Courses held across six states in FY26.
• More than 900 delivery agents and 1,750 agency branches operate on the platform.
• AuctionsPlus has been running livestock sales since 1986.

Frequently asked questions about selling on AuctionsPlus

Do I need an agent to sell on AuctionsPlus?

Yes. Livestock and machinery on AuctionsPlus are listed through agents, and payment and settlement are handled through the agent, so vendors should speak with their agent about listing.

What happens if my livestock does not sell on AuctionsPlus?

If a lot does not reach its reserve, it stays with the vendor. Unsold commercial livestock can be re-offered the following week at no extra cost, and Make an Offer is added to passed-in lots 90 minutes after they pass in so buyers can still submit offers to the agent.

How much does it cost to sell machinery in the AuctionsPlus weekly sale?

The AuctionsPlus Weekly Multi-Vendor Sale has no upfront cost, and the vendor only pays once an item sells.

Can buyers bid on stock they have not seen in person?

Yes. Every livestock lot on AuctionsPlus is assessed before listing by an assessor trained through the AuctionsPlus Assessor Course, and the listing includes the assessment, photos, video and supporting documents so buyers can bid sight unseen.

How long has AuctionsPlus been operating?

AuctionsPlus held its first pilot sales in June 1986 as CALM and was rebranded to AuctionsPlus in July 2000, giving it 40 years of trading history in 2026.

How to start selling on AuctionsPlus

Vendors can sell livestock or machinery on AuctionsPlus by contacting their agent or the AuctionsPlus team through auctionsplus.com.au.